2007-08-08 13:48:55 PDT -- Quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the Oakland Raiders' unsigned No. 1 draft pick, made national news in the fall of 2005, when the former LSU star shared his apartment with legendary musician Fats Domino in the days following Hurricane Katrina.

Now, he's the talk of Cal football practices, having bunked up at the house of Bears' senior receiver Robert Jordan.

Russell, a 6-foot-6, 260-pounder, and Jordan realized they were cousins at the NFL combine. While visiting another cousin, former Bears running back Marshawn Lynch, Jordan saw a family member who was there with Russell and the friendship was sparked.

"It's been nice, because we just found out that we're related," Jordan said. "We're having a lot of fun with it."

Jordan traveled to Russell's home in Alabama and met a part of the family he hadn't previously known. The duo also has made a habit of playing catch.

"He's got a cannon," Jordan said.

In a sign of solidarity with his newly discovered family member, Jordan has switched from wearing jersey No. 11 to No. 2.

"It was my number in high school, and it was JaMarcus' number last year at LSU," Jordan said. "It only made sense to wear it this year."

Pad the numbers: A lot of times, a team doesn't appear big and physical until the first day the players start wearing pads, but the freshman class is already gaining notice.

"It's the biggest class that we've ever had, and I didn't realize it until I was looking at a list of all of the signees," coach Jeff Tedford said. "The offensive and defensive linemen are big; I mean, even our punter is 6-3."

One of the biggest of the lot -- and certainly the player making the biggest impression -- is defensive end Cameron Jordan, a 6-4, 260-pounder from Chandler, Ariz. During conditioning drills, he sprinted 100 yards like a diminutive defensive back.

"He's a big guy who has a lot of athleticism," Tedford said. "We're anxious to see him put the pads on and see if he can make the transition, but it's clear that he has all of the potential to be a great player."

Briefly: Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Derrick Hill (back spasms) sat out for the second consecutive practice, and Tedford said he will know more about the significance of the injury today. ... Senior left tackle Mike Gibson was sidelined with a hamstring strain, Tedford said. ... Junior Phillip Mbakogu, who sat out last season with a knee injury, won't play this year, either. "He's trying to evaluate his future. There's still a glimmer of hope there, but it doesn't look good," Tedford said.